Rail-joint.



JQ .F. FORSYTH.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1913. 1,061,907. Patented May 13, 1913.

(/WEIVTOH John E Forsgfh Arm/Mrs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. FOBSYTI-I, or BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOB or ONE-THIBD TO HonAon BLAKELY, or BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA,

Specification of Letters latent.

Application filed January 30, 1913. Serial m5. 745,120.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. FoiisY'rI-I, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bloomington, in the county of Monroe and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Rail-Joint, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has for its object the pro-. vision of an inexpensive, reliablerail joint, which will have the same efliciency and safety under great difference of temperature, and which will increase the bending resistance of the joint. The rail joint comprises splice plates provided with fillers, having a higher coefficient of friction with the rail than the plates and having a key in one of said plates engagingthe webs of the rails.

Reference is to be had to the accompany ing drawings, constituing a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding partsinall a rail, in the extremity of which a recess 11 is provided in the web of the rail. Engag ing the ends of the rails 10 are splice plates 12 abutting with their lower edge against the flange of the rail, and with their upper edge against the head of the rail as best shown in Fig. 1. The splice plate 12 has the face lying opposite the web of the rail provided with a longitudinal groove 13 extending through the entire length of the plate, and having its bottom slightly curved. Fitted in the longitudinal groove 18 is a wooden filler 14. In one of the plates, the filler is formed of two pieces, or a central portion of the filler is cut away, and a key 15 is positioned in the groove as shown in Fig. 1. The key 15 fits snugly into the groove 13 of the splice plate 12, but it can also be formed integrally with the plate if desired. The key 15 has a project-ing por-' sitelface plate 12. The face plates 12 are also provided with a series of orifices 18 registering with orifices 18 of the fillers, and orifices 19 in the webs of the rails. Engaging these orifices are bolts 20 which bind the plates to the railand thereby form the o1nt.

The recesses 11 formed in the extremities of the webs of :the rails 10 are substantially equalt-o half of the length of the projecting portion 16., A clearance space is formed when the rails are placed in position as shown in Fig. 3, so that the distance between the extremities of the rails is.equal to the sum of the distance on each side of the key in the recesses 11. Similarly, a clearance'is provided in the orifices 19 of the rail, all for the purpose of expansion and contraction of the rails. The thickness of the key and the recesses being the same, the key fits tightly into the sides of the recesses.

, The wooden fillers provided in the splice plates contacting with the sides of the webs of the rails form a firm grip on the surface when forced against the side of the webs by means of the bolts 20. The wooden fillers being compressed slightly by the bolts against the web, form a slightly resilient body, prevent-ing the unscrewing of the nuts on the bolts by the vibration of a passing train. The key 15 having the projection 16 within the recesses 11, supports the extremities of the rails when a train is passing over, preventing the bending of the ends of the rail, and in consequence of this projection of the key, the two extremities of the rail are locked with each other. The reverse arrangement of the bolts 20, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is to afford a protection in case the nuts on one side are cut off by some acci-. dent of a derailing train. The heads on the same side form a smooth surface on which the wheel will slide, and therefore prevent the dislocation of the joint.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: I

1. In a rail joint, each extremity of the webs of the rails having a, recess therein, a pairof splice plates, fillers of material in said plates of a higher coefiicient of friction with the websof the rail than said plates, said fillers adapted to contact with'the sides of the webs of the rail when the joint is formed, one of said plates having means Patented May 13, 1913. I

adapted to engage said recesses in the rails,

and means for clamping said plate to the rails.

2. In a rail joint, each extremity of the webs of the rails having a recess therein, a pair of splice plates, fillers of wood in said plates adapted to contact with the sides of cesses in said extremities of the rail, Wooden fillers in said grooves of said plates, adapted to contact with the webs of the rail, and means for connecting said plates to the rails.

4. In a rail joint, each extremity of the webs of the rails having a recess, a pair of splice plates each having a longitudinal groove extending through the entire length of said plate, and lying opposite the side of the web of the rail, a key in the groove in one of said plates, substantially midway its ends, said key having a projection adapted to engage said recesses in said rails, Wooden fillers in said grooves adapted to contact with the sides of the webs of the rail, and means for connecting said plates to the rails.

5. In a rail joint, each extremity of the webs of the rails having a recess, a pair of splice plates each having a longitudinal groove extending through the entire length of the plate, and facing the sides of the webs of the rails when forming the joint, said grooves having a curved bottom, a key in the groove of one of said plates substan tially midway the ends of the plate, said key having a head portion fitting snugly into said groove, and a projecting portion fitting tightly between the upper and lower sides of said recess in the webs of the rails,wooden fillers in said grooves, and means for binding said plates to the rails.

In testimony whereof I have signed my i i name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN. 'F, FORSYTH.

Witnesses JOHN T. WooDwARD, THOMAS F. HAYS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

